Whumptober 2019- Pinned Down
by Frankie McStein
Summary: The high quality of the video call meant he could see every drop of water as it fell from the bucket and onto the cloth covering her face.


Getting kidnapped was never a good way to start the day. Getting beaten up and kidnapped was even worse. And getting beaten up and kidnapped while hearing your friend cry out in pain was probably the worst of the lot.

So it's safe to say that Magnum wasn't in the best of moods when he was tied up, blindfolded, and dumped in the back of the van that had driven into the side of the Ferrari. He landed on something soft, heard a quiet, pain-filled "oof," and realized he'd been dropped on top of Higgins. He wriggled to the side, feeling the cold metal of the floor beneath him, then tried to use his bound hands to figure out where her face was.

She cringed away from him, body curling up on itself, and he risked whispering, "It's okay; it's me." He felt her relax beneath the hand he had on what he now realized was her leg and shifted again, wriggling slightly closer to her.

"Are you okay?" He kept his voice low, hoping the engine would cover the sound of their voices.

"I'm fine." Her voice was tight, telling him instantly that she wasn't fine, but he didn't try to push. Now wasn't the time.

"I didn't recognize any of them when they grabbed us," he offered, hoping she might have had more luck. Before she could answer, the van hit a pothole. Magnum winced as he bounced on the metal, but Higgins gave a cry that she barely managed to stifle.

"Shut up!" The yell came from what Magnum had thought of as behind him. Not that it mattered if he knew that they were facing the door or not when he couldn't get the zip tie off his wrists. He focused on trying for a few moments; he could hear Higgins struggling to catch her breath and knew she wouldn't be able to talk.

He felt his skin tear under the sides of the thin plastic but no give at all in the tie. So he stopped trying to rotate his wrists and started straining his arms instead, trying to force his hands away from each other. He felt the muscles in his arms and shoulders trembling and relaxed against his restraints, trying to catch his breath without making any noise.

"Any luck getting free?" he muttered. The overprotective part of him hated that Higgins was so experienced in things like escaping hostage situations, but the clinical side of him was happy to utilize her experience.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and he could hear the pain in her voice. "I can't move my arm. I've tried but…" The van took a corner, they both slid slightly to the left, Higgins hitting the side of the van, and she couldn't stop the gasp.

"I told you to shut up!" It was the same harsh voice from before, and Magnum fixed the sound of it in his mind; if he never saw this guy's face clearly, he wanted to be able to identify him.

There was nothing for a few minutes but the sound of the engine and Higgins' slightly too fast breathing. Magnum didn't want to push his luck by talking too much, but he needed to know what was wrong too. Finally, he heard quiet voices from up front and figured it was safe to whisper again.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, making it less of a question, giving his voice as strong a ring of command as he could while still whispering.

"I'm not sure." Her voice was still thick with pain. "It's my shoulder." Her breath caught as they hit another pothole, her jaw clenching closed with an audible click as she tried not to make any noise. He heard the whimper, the choked groan that built in her throat that she swallowed down.

He felt helpless, and his hands twitched as he tried once more to force the zip tie to break.

They both slid again as the driver hit the brakes, and Magnum felt anger burning at the gasp that was forced out of Higgins at the movement. He was desperately trying to figure out what damage could have been done in the embarrassingly short fight when he heard the click of the engine being switched off. The van shook slightly as the men sitting up front climbed out and then shook again as the side door was pulled open. Magnum could hear doors opening from outside and realized the other men had followed the van in a car.

He felt hands wrap around his arms and legs and tried to struggle as he was dragged out of the van and lifted to his feet. But a cry of pain made him freeze.

"Keep fighting," goaded the voice that had told Higgins to shut up. "And see what happens." Another pained noise reached him; it was more like a sob, like Higgins didn't have the breath to cry out. Magnum stood still as the blindfold was pulled off his head and blinked at the bright sun. He looked around for Higgins even as his eyes were watering.

She was still wearing her blindfold, standing in front of one of the men with her arms tied behind her back. He could see at once her left shoulder was dislocated and had to bite down the angry words that wanted to spill out. He knew from the medical training he'd had in the SEALs that the longer the dislocation was left untreated the harder it would be to relocate the joint and the greater the risk of permanent damage.

The man holding her- Magnum dubbed him Goon A- had his hand on her left arm. As he saw Magnum looking, he gave a grin and then yanked Higgins' arm upward. She bit off the scream as her knees buckled, a gasp escaping as the man let her arm go and she dropped to the ground.

Magnum actually took a step toward her before hands seized his arms and pulled him backward.

"I didn't say you could move."

Magnum's head whipped around, and he stared at the man his mind named simply 'The Boss,' trying to fix every detail of the face in front of him firmly into his memory. Catching the lackeys would be great, but this was the man who had shouted orders, who had laughed as Higgins was hit with a stun gun, who had made her cry out in pain even as she was unable to fight back. This was the man Magnum wanted to be sure would pay.

"You know what I want. Give it to me, and I'll let your little friend go." The Boss had plastered a smile on his face that only grew as Magnum glared at him.

"Even if I did know what you were after, I wouldn't give you anything." Magnum tensed every muscle in his body and kept his head perfectly still as the man reached out and patted him on the cheek.

"We'll see." He turned and walked away, and a shove from the man Magnum immediately started calling Goon B told Magnum to follow.

He didn't turn his head, but he could hear footsteps from behind him and guessed Higgins was being herded along by Goon A. He hoped, wherever they were being taken, they would be kept together. He had some vague idea of getting free and relocating her shoulder; hopefully it would be in time to prevent permanent damage.

He wasn't thrilled when they finally entered what looked like an old barn to see cells lining both sides of the building. Looking around to make sure Higgins was being brought in too, he saw she was still blindfolded and being led along by her injured arm. Her face was pale, sweet beading on her forehead from the pain, and Magnum felt the anger flare up again.

"Is that necessary?" he snapped, hoping that, if there were repercussions for his talking, they would be visited upon him.

The Boss regarded him with a curious expression before his lips twitched. "Our guest is right," he said, smirking at the man holding Magnum. "We should make his friend more comfortable." He nodded, and then stepped forward and grabbed Magnum's arm. His other arm was still being held by Goon B, and he frowned.

Higgins head tipped to the side as her arm was released and she tried to figure out what was going on. Goon A drew a pocketknife and sliced through the zip tie on her wrists. She didn't even reach for the blindfold, immediately moving to catch her injured arm instead but Goon A grabbed it first. Magnum had a split second to realize what was about to happen. He didn't even have time to call out before Goon A had twisted Higgins' arm and pulled hard.

She didn't even try to muffle her cry of pain as the shoulder joint popped back into place. Her already pale face went a ghastly white, and Goon A let her drop to the floor, staring with a grin at Magnum while he tried to jerk away from the men holding him.

Light flashed in Magnum's vision as something hit him hard on the head and he felt himself sag as he fought to stay conscious. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was moving but wasn't sure how. By the time the gray spots had stopped dancing in front of him, he was on the floor in one of the cells.

He rubbed at the side of his head and realized with a start his wrists had been cut free.

"Higgins?" He could see her sprawled on the floor in the cell opposite. Her wrists were still free, her left arm being cradled by her right. The blindfold had finally been taken off, but all that meant was that he could see the lines of pain around her eyes.

"C'mon, Higgy," he called quietly, desperate for her to respond. Her eyes blinked open, skittering around, unfocused, for a long few seconds before finally landing on him. He offered her an encouraging smile, relieved when she tried her best to return it. "How you doing?"

She looked like she wanted to roll her eyes at the question but couldn't find the energy. "I can't feel my hand at all." She was trying to hide the fear, but it was there in her voice.

Magnum knew the numbness could be a perfectly normal, and temporary, reaction to the dislocation. But he also knew, and suspected she knew, that it could also mean she had suffered serious nerve damage.

"What do they want?" Her voice was so quiet Magnum nearly missed the question, and he was forcefully reminded of how utterly exhausting it was to be in constant pain.

"I don't know." He wished he had more to tell her. Keeping their minds engaged and busy had helped him and the others to no end when they had been in the camp. It had helped them push through the pain and push aside the tiredness. Knowing Higgins, he was almost positive she would respond the same way they had and scrambled for something to keep her occupied.

"Maybe that's something we can work out before they come back." He shifted slightly, cold and uncomfortable but unwilling to sit up if she couldn't. "Who have we annoyed so much that they would risk grabbing us in broad daylight?"

…

They'd been left alone for nearly an hour. At least, Magnum thought it was that long. When he brought it up, Higgins, who had quickly tired of the 'list everyone we've annoyed between us' game, argued it was closer to one hour and fifteen minutes. She somehow managed to make a skill like tracking the position of the sun sound both simplistic and useless, mentioning both 'solar noon' and something called an 'analemma.'

She had pulled herself upright at some point, and he had gladly mirrored her position. They were both leaning against the metal bars that formed the sliding doors of their cells. Neither of them was exactly comfortable, but Higgins' shoulder was hurting too much for her to want to try to move and Magnum had no intention of making her watch while he made himself comfortable.

When the door to the building swung open, they both straightened up, although Magnum had more success than Higgins. The Boss strolled in, moving like he owned the place, flanked by Goon A and Goon B. They stopped outside the cells, and The Boss stood in front of Magnum, looking down at him with a sneer.

"Well? Have you decided to cooperate?"

"I told you before, I don't know what you want." Magnum tried to push down the anger he was feeling, to have nothing but sincerity in his voice. He wanted this guy to believe him, wanted to know what they were after so he could work on getting Higgins and himself released. Heck, he'd take them letting her go and keeping him. But The Boss just tutted and turned around to face Higgins.

"I guess your friend here isn't all that big on chivalry." He blinked as Higgins snorted in amusement.

"I guess you have no idea what you're talking about," she replied, in a dangerously sweet tone of voice.

The Boss took a step forward, kneeling to bring himself level with her. She clearly expected him to say something, raising an eyebrow at him.

He opened his mouth, took a breath, and then his hand flashed out, darting between the bars. His fingers tangled in her hair and he yanked her head forward, smashing her forehead against the metal bars with a clang that echoed. She slumped to the floor as The Boss pulled his hand away, landing on her back.

None of the men paid the slightest attention to Magnum as he grabbed the bars of his own cell and yelled at them to leave her alone. He shook the bars, as if he thought they would magically fall away, and yelled again as Goon B produced a key and pulled open the gate of Higgins' cell.

The Boss stepped in, standing over her as she shifted weakly. Between the lingering pain in her shoulder and the dizziness from the blow, it was all she could do not to pass out. But she still registered him entering the cell and tried to move away.

Goon A stepped forward, bent down and seized her arms, and pulled them over her head. The strain on her shoulder set the nerves on fire, and she choked back a yell. She was focusing on her breathing, trying to work through the pain while still preparing for whatever was about to happen.

The Boss threw a look at Magnum. "Tell me."

"Tell you what?" Magnum knew he sounded desperate and didn't really care. "Please. I swear to you, I don't know what you want!" He watched, eyes wide with fury and fear, as The Boss turned back to Higgins. He dropped down, straddling her legs, and ran a finger over her jaw, then, quite suddenly, drove the side of his hand into the very top of her throat.

Her stomach convulsed, the blow stimulating her gag reflex. She tossed her head to the side, the movement pulling against her shoulder. She winced, trying not to cry out. The Boss stayed where he was, his weight pinning her down. She coughed as her muscles stilled.

Which is when The Boss drove his fist into her torso, high on her stomach. She gasped, eyes wide, and Magnum knew exactly what she was feeling. It had been explained to him when he was in the camp.

_"The Vagus nerve runs along the side of the neck,"_ he'd been told while a finger dragged over his skin. _"But it's so easy to kill someone hitting it there. Right here,"_ and the finger had dug into his lower chest, _"here is the liver. And next to it, that same nerve." _

He could still remember the overwhelming terror he had felt as the blow had sent his body reeling. He'd actually felt his heart slow in his chest even as adrenaline was pouring into his system. He hadn't been able to think or move or even breathe, and only the adrenaline had kept him awake.

He kept his eyes fixed on Higgins' as she pulled in a breath and her body relaxed.

The Boss pressed his hand against her chest, digging his fingers into the spot he had hit. "The human body is amazing." His voice was cold. "So many places that can cause so much pain." He moved his hand and gripped Higgins' jaw, tugging her head around and forcing her to look away from Magnum. She met his gaze with the strongest glare she could muster, but he just smirked.

"I can make you scream for days," he purred, lowering his face.

She squirmed, ignoring the pain the movement caused in an attempt to fight.

"Just tell me what you want!" Magnum yelled, hitting the bars again. "Please! Please just tell me!"

The Boss looked over at him with raised eyebrows. "The Hetchler Building," he said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. "I want the report you wrote on its security."

"We haven't written it yet." Magnum knew he was looking desperate as The Boss stared at him. "We aren't due to go there until tomorrow." There was a silence as everything stopped. Magnum wasn't even sure he was breathing.

Then The Boss threw his head back and laughed. "I'll come back tomorrow then." He looked back to Higgins, and his smile dropped. One hand slipped around her throat and squeezed.

"No!" The Boss didn't react at all, just kept squeezing until his fingers were white against Higgins' skin.

"Stop! Stop it! Let her go!" Magnum was actually panting as his hands tugged frantically at the metal, knowing he couldn't do anything but totally unable to stand by and do nothing. Someone was laughing, but he wasn't sure who; all his attention was on Higgins. The way her face was going red. The way her arms were tugging frantically at the hands pinning them down. The way her fingers were clenching into fists. The way her legs were struggling to kick under the weight holding them to the floor. The way her back was arching as her lungs fought for air.

The Boss stared at her face, his own face expressionless. It was as if he wasn't looking at another human being but some abstract display. He looked back over to Magnum, his eyes dark and flat.

"Until tomorrow then," and his voice was utterly devoid of emotion. Then he let go of Higgins and stood, stepping over her as she gasped for air, an awful choking sound. Goon A let go of her arms, and she rolled toward the door of her cell and curled into a ball, her whole body shaking as she coughed and gasped, each breath seeming to stick in her throat on its way in.

The door to her cell was pushed closed, the clunk of the lock lost in the echoes of Higgins' desperate struggle to catch her breath. The three men walked out of the building, slamming the door behind them.

Magnum lay flat and stretched his arm out through the bars.

"Higgins? Hey, Juliet, c'mon. You're okay." He kept calling over to her until her breathing finally slowed and she relaxed a little. Her head came up, and Magnum felt his stomach clench at how exhausted she looked. The coughing had forced tears out of her eyes that were sitting on her cheeks; she didn't seem to have to energy to wipe them away.

"What happens tomorrow?" Her voice was hoarse, but Magnum heard her clearly and shook his head.

"I'm not sure."

She looked at him for a long second, then stretched her own arm out. Her fingers reached Magnum's palm, and he closed his hand around hers, holding on tight.

They didn't talk much as time slowly passed. Talking was painful for Higgins, and Magnum couldn't think of enough ways to keep a one-sided conversation going that didn't involve making her laugh, something that had made her cry out in pain.

The light in the prison slowly faded as the sun set and the silence, the dark, the exhaustion, all proved too much for Higgins. She drifted off to sleep, fingers still wrapped safely in Magnum's grasp. And, a short while later, lulled by her steady breaths and the feel of her hand in his, Magnum's eyes slid closed too.

…

They were woken by the door being flung open and jerked their hands away from each other. The Boss was grinning as he walked in.

"Now then, Tommy. Can I call you Tommy? You and I, and some of my friends, are going to go for a ride to the Hetchler Building."

A man Magnum hadn't seen before- 'RoidRage', his brain helpfully supplied- stepped forward and unlocked Magnum's cell. Another man walked up to Higgins' cell; Magnum was too distracted by the gun the man was pointing at Higgins to name him.

"Come on out, Tommy-Boy," called The Boss, like he was calling down a contestant on a game show. "We're already running late." He spun on his heel and strode out, Magnum walking slowly after him. He expected to hear the door of Higgins' cell being slid open, but there was silence behind him.

Two cars were sitting in the yard, one already full of men, the other with the back seat empty. The Boss got in and gestured to Magnum to join him.

"What about my partner?" Magnum stopped by the car door, still hoping Higgins was about to come walking out.

"She's staying here with Erik." The Boss' voice was casual, like he was talking about the weather. "To make sure you behave yourself."

Magnum wanted to argue but the barrel of a gun was pressed hard into the small of his back. He ducked down and slid into the car, carefully keeping his hands still. The door was slammed shut, Erik, the man he'd nicknamed RoidRage, actually smiling as the two cars pulled away. Magnum swallowed hard, feeling like he had let Higgins down by not fighting to stay with her.

He tried to insist to The Boss that he needed her to do anything clever involving the security systems that protected the Hetchler Building, but all it got him was a punch to the face. He debated the wisdom in simply grabbing at the driver, but Goon B and The Boss were both armed and he knew he wouldn't get anywhere.

He kept wracking his brain, trying to think of some way to get away from these men, to get back to Higgins, or at least to get help to her. The idea of her being left alone with RoidRage- 'Erik,' his mind corrected. 'The police will need actual details.'- was sickening. He hadn't had the chance to even really look at her this morning, but he'd woken a few times in the night, disturbed by her shifting and coughing, and knew she hadn't slept well.

So, to recap, Higgins was tired, injured, in pain, and at the mercy of a man twice her size in every direction. While he, meanwhile, was comfortably tucked away in a car, headed over to the single most secure building on the island where he was expected to… well, he actually had no idea what he was meant to be doing when they got there. But he did know that Higgins would be paying the price if he failed.

…

She watched him warily as he stalked towards the door to her cell, grinning at her through the bars. She'd pushed herself back toward the wall after Magnum had been escorted out. She had no idea where he'd been taken, but she suspected she was being kept as leverage.

The man approaching her cell had the keys in his hands and was staring fixedly at her. He pulled a gun from his waistband and kept it trained on her as he unlocked the cell. Then he stepped back and beckoned to her. She struggled with the sliding door for a moment; her left hand was still numb and the shoulder still swollen. As she stepped out, the man stepped back, gun still aimed directly at her. She followed, reasonably sure he wouldn't kill her but uncomfortably aware of all the non-lethal places to shoot a person.

As they stepped outside, she winced as the sunlight made her eyes ache. As she brought her right hand up to rub at her face, her guard suddenly lunged forward. She didn't even see the stun gun, just felt the agonising pain as it tore through her.

Her lungs froze, every muscle pulled against itself, every nerve ending lit up, and she knew she'd be screaming if she only had the breath. Seconds later, maybe days later, she wasn't sure, the stun gun was pulled back and she crumpled to the ground.

She was vaguely aware of the fact that she was being dragged across the uneven ground, but she wasn't sure how she was moving. Her brain was struggling to figure out what was going on around her. The sound of water lapping against something filtered through to her, and she wondered for a second if she on the estate's private beach and dreaming this whole ordeal.

The world tipped and swayed around her as she was lifted from the ground and then everything dipped and swooped as she was dropped. There was a moment of shock as freezing water soaked through the back of her clothes and then her mind sped up and she realised she was on some sort of makeshift dock. And that her arms and legs were free.

She dragged her arms to her sides, bent her wrists, and pushed up, flipping to her knees as she did. Pulling her legs under her, surging up to her feet, made her head spin, and she knew she wasn't going to get away. But she had to try. Whatever was about to happen to her, whatever was happening to Magnum, it wasn't good, and if she had an opportunity to get away, then she was going to take it.

She managed three steps. Then a hand wrapped around her ankle and tugged hard. She crashed down as her foot was pulled out from under her. Her left arm gave out under the sudden weight as she tried to catch herself, and her head slammed into the ground. Pain exploded through her head as gravel was driven into the wound from the previous day. Hands wrapped around her feet, and she tried to kick, tried to hurt the man who was pulling her toward him, but his hands were so big, so strong.

One firm pull, and she had slid under him. He tugged, and she rolled to her back. He dodged the punch she tried to throw and returned it, catching her on the jaw. The world went black and, when she came back to it, her arms and legs had been tied to the wood of the floating platform.

Magnum stared at the phone screen, hands clenched in fists at his sides. The gun that was digging into his side pushed a little harder, and he shifted at the pain. But his eyes didn't leave the phone where, over the video call, he had watched as Higgins was attacked, knocked out, and tied up.

The way that Erik was toying with a strip of cloth, a bucket standing by his feet, wasn't lost on Magnum. He knew exactly what those two things meant. The fact that there was so much water on hand just made it worse; Erik wouldn't even have to travel to refill the bucket and the idea of watching Higgins drown, over and over, made Magnum see red.

But he couldn't act.

"If you make me kill you, then fine. You'll die. And no one will find her." The Boss had smirked. "And I'll leave her with Erik."

Magnum took a deep breath. Held it. Forced down the anger. Forced himself to look away from Higgins who was just starting to stir.

"I told you already; I'll do whatever you want me to. You don't have to hurt her."

Erik grinned again and then pointed to the building.

"You're going to go in and take the dagger."

Magnum didn't need to ask what he was talking about. The papers had been full of the story for months. A priceless dagger, part of a private collection of Hawaiian antiquities, had finally come home where it was to be displayed in the Hetchler Building's Hawaiian History exhibit for the foreseeable future.

"That's impossible." He kept his voice as flat as he could. He wasn't exaggerating; there was literally no flaw in the exhibition security. He and Higgins had spent three days going over it and drawn a blank every step of the way.

"Pity." The Boss didn't sound regretful. In fact, he sounded downright gleeful. He held the phone back up as Goon B turned in his seat and added his gun to the one the driver was already jabbing in Magnum's side. For a second, Magnum wasn't sure why. And then Erik crouched down over Higgins, laid the cloth over her face, pinning it in place with his knees, and picked up the full bucket.

Magnum couldn't even call out past the lump in his throat.

…

She knew what was coming. She'd seen the way he was twisting the cloth, the way he'd licked his lips with anticipation as he'd glanced down to something off to her right. She'd dropped her head and seen the bucket. And it had fallen into place.

_'They want you alive,'_ she told herself firmly, even as the cloth was pulled tight over her face. _'It'll feel like you're dying, but he won't kill you yet.'_

And then she couldn't think anything. Water hit the cloth and flooded into her nose. She instinctively opened her mouth to gasp for a breath, and the water poured in. Her heart was racing, and her whole body was frozen. She could feel the freezing filthy water trickling down her throat. She tried to toss her head to escape the torrent, but she couldn't even twitch. The only part of her that was moving was her chest as her body fought frantically to cough, to escape, to breathe, to survive.

She felt the moment the water hit her lungs. Felt the sickening chill, so at odds with the burning pain. And then her arms and legs were tugging against the ropes as sheer panic enveloped her. She wasn't thinking of twisting her wrists to try to free them; her arms moved of their own accord, tearing the skin. She wasn't thinking of kicking out with all her strength; her legs jerked and tugged against the restraints, wrenching their own muscles. She wasn't thinking of trying to get away from whatever was pinning her down; her body writhed and shifted as panic and fear pulsed through it.

Dying. Dying. Dying. She could feel it. Her very bones were vibrating with the knowledge that she couldn't survive. That oxygen, held away from her by nothing more than a piece of material, was still too far away for her to reach it. That every frantic heave of her chest was drawing the water further and further down, pulling in more and more liquid.

Every fibre of her being wanted to fight, was trying to fight, but it wasn't a fight she could win. There was nothing she could do.

…

Magnum nearly ran up to the steps at the building's entrance. He was shaking. He could feel his legs trembling under him and wasn't sure if it was from fear or anger. He hadn't taken his eyes off the screen as Erik had slowly emptied the bucket, stopping and starting, making sure Higgins didn't pass out. The noise she'd made when he'd finally pulled the cloth off her face was like nothing Magnum had heard before. He knew he would hear it again and again in nightmares.

Then The Boss had made a 'shoo' gesture. And Magnum had practically fallen out of the car in his hurry to obey. He had no idea what he was going to do. He wasn't even sure he could get into the building; he wasn't expected and had no money on him for the admission fee.

His brain was turning over possibilities as he drew closer and closer to the steps. And then his mind froze for a split second as his eyes, glancing over the street in the hopes of spotting some sort of inspiration, landed instead on Katsumoto's shocked face.

Magnum shook his head, warning the detective not to approach him. Then he turned slightly, ensuring the men watching in the cars couldn't see his hand, and pointed to the doors. He hurried up the steps and to the ticket booth, hoping Katsumoto understood the rapid gesture. Magnum made a show of fumbling in his pockets, and then a hand appeared, holding a credit card.

"Two adults please," came the familiar and all oh-so-welcome voice.

Magnum felt himself draw in a full breath for the first time since being led away from Higgins that morning.

"What's going on, Magnum?" Katsumoto demanded as they headed inside. "I've had Rick and T.C. driving me mad all day. We've got officers all over the island looking for you and Higgins." He glanced around as if expecting to see the blonde admiring a painting somewhere.

Magnum filled him in as quickly as he could, stressing the danger Higgins was still in. Katsumoto looked sick as Magnum mentioned the word 'waterboarding.'

"Can you give me any sort of an idea where she's being held?" Katsumoto listened intently as Magnum described everything he could about the building with the cells, the floating dock he had seen on the phone, and the drive back into town. He was relieved beyond measure to see Katsumoto nod.

"I think I know it; it's an old sugar mill. I'll get a team headed up there now. You say this guy is expecting you to steal the dagger right now?" At Magnum's nod, the detective gave a grim smile. "That should give us enough time to get everyone in place. We'll move on the sugar mill and the two cars at the same time."

He gave Magnum a critical look and then pointed to a bench. "Let's have a seat while we wait."

Magnum didn't want to sit down. He wanted to get back to Higgins, to run there if need-be, and make sure she was okay. Make sure she was safe. But his whole body was still shaking, and he suddenly realized he hadn't had anything to eat or drink since breakfast the previous day.

He dropped thankfully to the bench and let his body relax, just a little.

…

Higgins wasn't at all impressed by her doctor telling her to take it easy. The look on her face was an interesting cross between exasperation and betrayal, like she had actually expected him to tell her she could go straight home.

She tried crossing her arms and frowning, but her left arm was still in a sling- her idiot doctor was worried about the swelling in her shoulder and numbness in her hand- and the frown pulled uncomfortably on the cut on her head- the foolish quack had decided it needed a stitch and it was itching- and she had to settle for a sigh.

From the chair by the side of her bed, Magnum huffed too, but his huff was one of laughter, and she threw him a look. He grinned, utterly unrepentant, and she felt her annoyance fade slightly.

He had been waiting at the hospital when she'd been brought in, Rick and T.C. standing either side of him, and she knew the looks on their faces were going to stick with her. Fear and anger in equal measure, morphing into indescribable relief as they saw her and realised she wasn't just alive but conscious.

She let her eyes slip over to the couch where the other two men were sitting. They were both smiling too, amused by her intense desire to leave the hospital.

"Relax, Higgy Baby. The doctors here are the best." T.C.'s tone was so smooth and relaxed that Higgins felt herself relax in response.

Apparently, it showed in her demeanor as the smiles on the three men's faces grew even wider. If she was being totally honest, she was exhausted. And the prospect of staying in bed, even a hospital bed, was a tempting one. She let her gaze slide back to Magnum as he reached out and took her hand in his, and a small smile spread over her face. Her boys were there; a short nap would be fine. But then she really was going to have to explain to her stupid doctor just how busy she was.


End file.
